Pokémon Summer Camp
by nyislandersgirl
Summary: Ash and Misty's children are finally old enough to attend Professor Oak's famous Pokémon summer camp! When one of them has a bad first day, however, Ash and Misty struggle to find a solution.
1. Chapter 1

**Happy New Year everyone! I've decided to start this year off with a new story I've been working on! Backstory on this one is that it was initially supposed to be a one shot, and then it spiraled out of control and became a little too long for that. So I decided to repurpose it as a short story! It is a sweet little one that I might further spin off of, so I figured this was the perfect option!**

**As I always like to note at the beginning of a new story, I do not own anything related to the Pokemon franchise aside from any of my OCs who appear throughout the story.**

* * *

**Pokémon Summer Camp**

"Mommy! Mommy!"

Four-year-old Aiden Ketchum flew through the front door, eagerly searching for his mother. Fortunately for both him _and _the sanctity of the house, Misty just happened to be coming down the stairs, thereby stopping her rambunctious son from tearing up the next room looking for her.

"Oh, you sure are excited!" Misty giggled. "Did you have a fun time with Sam?"

"No," Aiden quickly replied, nearly sending his mother tumbling. The mention of Gary Oak's son, and Aiden's natural born rival, would've normally made the boy cringe and protest, but he was far too invigorated to do such a thing. "-fessor Oak was telling me -bout his Pokémon camp, and I really wanna go! Can I, Mommy? Please, please, pleaseee?"

By now the boy had ambled up to his mother, jumping up and down and staring at her with wide, pleading eyes.

"Well _that_ explains why you're so wired!" Misty laughed nervously. "Guess I should've known it wasn't because of Sam."

"Mommy, I wanna go to Pokémon camp."

Misty smiled at her son, who was still pouting. "I know you do, little guy. I'll talk to Daddy about it, okay?"

Aiden's big smile returned, and he quickly nodded his head.

"Speaking of which…where _is_ Daddy? And your sister?" Misty asked, looking behind her son.

"I beat them here!" Aiden giggled wildly. "I'm super-fast!"

Misty blinked. "Wait a minute…if Daddy wasn't with you, how did you open the front door?"

"I know where he hides the key," Aiden squeaked, obviously proud of this fact. "I opened it all by myself!"

Misty groaned and rubbed at her temple. "I wish you were that motivated to do things that don't cause trouble…"

"Aiden!"

The boy went rigid as his father suddenly burst through the front door, Michelle by his side.

"You've gotta learn to stop running off like that," Ash groaned, bending over to catch his breath.

"But Daddy, I only wanted to see Mommy!" Aiden cried, spinning around to face his father as he waved his arms up and down. "I had to ask her -bout Pokémon camp!"

"And I told you we would as soon as we got home," Ash sighed, standing back up straight.

"Yeah, but I couldn't wait," Aiden whined, scuffing his shoe against the floor.

Michelle smiled and ran over to her brother, grabbing at his hands. "Come on, Aiden! Let's go play that game -fessor Oak showed us!"

Aiden immediately brightened up and nodded his head, following his sister into the kitchen. Pikachu, who had been perched on Ash's shoulder, hopped off to trail the twins, fearing that they might get themselves into trouble.

"I'm sorry, Mist," Ash sighed, closing the door behind him and walking closer to his wife. "I know we keep telling him he shouldn't be running off from us."

Misty smiled sympathetically at him. "It's not your fault. Besides, he was just too excited to get to me, that's all."

Ash pulled his shoulders back. "Hold on…you're not mad?"

Misty shrugged and sat down on the step she'd been standing on. "It's hard to be mad at him when he gives you those baby doll eyes."

"Baby doll eyes, huh?" Ash chuckled, taking a seat beside her. "Man, he _really _wants to go to Professor Oak's summer camp!"

"I don't think there's anything wrong with sending him, do you?" Misty asked, turning towards Ash. "I mean, you loved it as a kid, right?"

"Sure did!" Ash replied, puffing his chest out. "I got to spend all day outside learning about all different kinds of Pokémon. It's totally up Aiden's alley! Plus, it's only during the day, so it's not like we have to leave him overnight. And even if there _is_ a problem, Mom is right down the road! Although I know Professor Oak will keep an eye on him too."

"Those are definitely pluses," Misty agreed. "I really don't have a problem letting him go to the camp. I agree that he'd just love it! But the real question is…what about Michelle?"

Ash seemed confused, slightly inclining his head. "I kind of thought we would just send them both."

Misty, however, seemed wary. "Did she say anything about wanting to go?"

"Well…no," Ash admitted. "But I'm sure she'd love it too! I know she's quieter than Aiden, but she does love Pokémon just as much as he does! And I think she'd really like being taught by Professor Oak. She's young, but she loves his poems and is always interested in everything he tells her."

"I'm not saying you're wrong, but you know that Michelle is also very sensitive and very attached to both of us," Misty reminded him as she pointed between them. "Sending her somewhere where there'll be a bunch of kids she doesn't know, and we're not there to shield her, might not be such a thrill."

"Maybe not, but I think it's good to push her out of her comfort zone! Especially now that she's getting older," Ash replied. "Besides, she'll still have Aiden with her, so it's not like she's going to be with nothing but strangers. He's really good at looking out for his sister!"

Misty sighed and leaned back against the step behind her. "I guess it's worth a shot. Who knows; maybe she'll end up having a great time!"

"That's the spirit!" Ash cheered. "I'll call Professor Oak and sign them both up right away!"

Before he could stand up, however, Misty placed a hand on his knee to stop him, catching his attention. "By the way…we're going to have to find a new hiding spot for your house key."

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**This will be a short story; approximately 5 chapters long. ****Expect a new chapter to be uploaded every Friday! **


	2. Chapter 2

"We're going to Pokémon camp! We're going to Pokémon camp!"

Ash chuckled as his son marched along the path, singing the little song he had made up over and over again. Michelle, meanwhile, was holding tightly onto her father's hand, walking quietly beside him.

"Are you excited to go to Pokémon camp too, Shelly?" Ash sweetly asked his daughter. She looked up at him and smiled, nodding her head. Ash returned her grin, feeling even more confident in his decision to sign her up as well.

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu squeaked from Ash's shoulder, trying in his own way to encourage the girl.

"See?" Ash chuckled. "Even Pikachu's happy for you!"

Michelle giggled softly, giving a little shrug of her shoulders.

It was a beautiful summer day; the kind where it was still a bit cool in the morning, but with the sun hanging high in the sky and promising a toasty afternoon. There'd been a gentle breeze ever since Ash had left home with the twins, tousling all of their hair. Ash reached up with his free hand to try and fix his as best as he could; it was times like these he wished he still wore a hat. It didn't seem to bother Aiden at all, and Michelle's hair was still neat thanks to the ponytail Misty had styled for her.

The original plan had been for both him _and_ Misty to take the twins to camp. Unfortunately for Misty, an overeager trainer was pounding on the gym doors before she'd even managed to put her shoes on, making it Ash's task alone. Fortunately for him, neither child seemed to mind. Aiden had been chatty and energetic the entire way, just as he usually was, while Michelle had been quieter and more reserved…just as she usually was.

"We're here! Look, Daddy!"

Aiden had stopped short, hopping up and down as he pointed towards the familiar sight of Professor Oak's lab: the large, pale yellow building with its red roof, long stone staircase trailing up the grassy green hill, and the unmistakable windmill chugging along in the background.

"Yeah, I see, champ!" Ash laughed.

Aiden started to giggle, his excitement overflowing. "I can't wait! Let's go!"

The boy took off towards the lab, running towards the winding staircase and making haste to move up its ascending steps.

"Not again," Ash groaned. "Aiden, I already told you! No running off!"

With her own little giggle, Michelle tugged at her father's hand and urged, "come on, Daddy! We just hafta chase him!"

Ash sighed, knowing his daughter was right. "Okay then, time to run!"

He took off, trying his best to keep pace with his young daughter. Fortunately for him, Michelle was pretty fast herself, and managed to keep up well with him. The family soon found their way to the top of the hill, walking around to the back of the building in order to reach the corral. There, a group of young children were already gathered around Professor Oak, who was answering all of their very fervent questions. Aiden's face managed to glow even more at the sight, while Michelle took a step closer to her father. When Professor Oak saw Ash and the twins out of the corner of his eye, he quickly finished up his latest response before heading over to the younger man.

"Ash!" Professor Oak greeted. "Overslept again, I see."

"Ah…" Ash trailed off, blushing at the accusation before sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, you got me."

"Now, be honest," Professor Oak teased. "Was it the kids, or was it you?"

Ash never got the chance to answer, because Aiden helpfully replied, "it was Daddy! I was too excited to sleep!"

The Pokémon Master groaned and hung his head. "He got me too."

"Daddy likes to sleep a whole lot!" Michelle chimed in, earning a chuckle from Professor Oak.

Ash somehow managed to sink down even further. "And her."

"No harm done," Professor Oak assured him. "We haven't started just yet! I was only fielding some questions from my other campers."

"That's great!" Ash let out a sigh of relief. "Misty wishes she could be here, but she already had a challenger waiting for her at the gym. I'd like to say that was the only reason we were late, but you already had that all figured out."

"Whoa! It's the Pokémon Master!"

"And his Pikachu!"

The other children, having just realized Ash was standing in the vicinity, were now scurrying over to him. Aiden grinned as the crowd closed in, but Michelle grabbed onto her father's leg and hid halfway behind it.

"Excellent!" Professor Oak crowed. "You all know your stuff!"

"Nice to meet you guys!" Ash greeted the children.

"Pi!" Pikachu agreed.

"Ash used to attend this same summer camp when he was young," Professor Oak explained, motioning to the famous trainer.

"Yeah, and I had the best time!" Ash commented. "You're all going to have lots of fun!"

Unable to contain himself any longer, Aiden took a small jump forward and announced, "Hi guys! My name's Aiden! And_ he's_ my dad!"

Aiden pointed proudly at a flustered Ash, and all of the other children began to clamor all over again.

"That's so cool!" Another little boy with dark brown hair and green eyes shouted.

"So, do you get to play with his Pokémon all of the time?" A little girl with curly blonde hair styled in pigtails asked.

"Yep!" Aiden replied. "They're the best!"

Michelle whined softly and shuffled further behind Ash. He noticed this and smiled sympathetically, glancing down at the girl. "Hey, Shelly, why don't you introduce yourself to the other kids too?"

She grimaced and rapidly shook her head, causing Ash to frown.

"Hey, who's that?"

One of the other little girls, the tallest of the bunch, was pointing towards Michelle, who was still trying to use her father as a human shield. Aiden looked in that direction and smiled kindly at the girl who had asked, answering, "that's my sister! Her name's Michelle."

"How come she's hiding?" A dark green haired boy asked.

"Oh, she's just kinda shy," Aiden chirped. Running towards his sister, he gently tugged at her shoulder and urged, "come on, Shelly! These kids all seem really nice!"

Once again, Michelle shook her head.

"It's okay!" Aiden assured her. "I'm here, -member?"

That was enough to at least get Michelle to look back up. Aiden smiled encouragingly at her and reached for her hand, pulling Michelle out towards the other campers before she even had a chance to protest.

"This is Michelle, my sister!" Aiden repeated.

"Hi, Michelle!" A boy with curly, dark blue hair greeted.

Michelle blushed a bit and quickly looked away again, gently kicking at the grass in front of her. The boy who had greeted her suddenly looked very confused, as did the other kids around him.

"She seems scared," the shortest of the girls murmured.

"Nah!" Aiden refuted with a short laugh.

"And she's really quiet!" An auburn-haired boy exclaimed.

"She'll talk soon, promise!" Aiden chirped, while Michelle shuffled nervously beside him.

"Well, til then, why don't we go look at all the Pokémon over there?" A pale, dark haired girl who resembled a porcelain doll asked, pointing towards a wooden fence.

"Okay!" Aiden replied. He tried to pull Michelle along, but this time she fought back, yanking her arm away and clutching the hand that Aiden had just been holding in front of her chest. "Huh? Shelly, don't you want to come?"

Michelle shot her brother a desperate, pleading look. She was hoping he'd get the hint, either through her look or their twin bond, that she _really_ didn't want to. One of them did seem to work, as Aiden frowned.

"Aiden, come 'ere!"

The boy looked over his shoulder and saw the other kids waving him down. He shot Michelle one last look, but she still refused to move. Without another word, the boy turned around and hurried to join the other campers at the fence, leaving his anxious sister behind.

Ash and Professor Oak, who had watched the entire exchange, shared looks of concern. Sighing, Ash knelt beside his daughter, murmuring, "Michelle, you should go check out the Pokémon with Aiden and the other kids! I bet you'll have lots of fun!"

Michelle slowly looked up at her father and shook her head.

"Why not?" Ash asked sweetly. "You love those Pokémon! And you know so much about them; you could tell everyone a bunch of cool facts! They'll be so impressed!"

"I wanna stay with you," Michelle whined, turning towards him and holding her arms out.

"No, I have to go, Shelly," Ash cooed. "I've got to get to work! Besides, this camp isn't for boring old adults like me. It's for kids like you to learn about Pokémon and make new friends! Doesn't that sound great?"

Michelle quickly shook her head and, without any other warning, began to cry.

Pikachu frowned and lowered his ears. He absolutely hated to see his trainer's daughter so upset. Biting his lip, Ash finally reached out and grabbed Michelle, pulling her in for a hug. "Hey, hey, it's okay. Don't cry, princess. It's okay!"

The little girl, however, just continued to sob, burying her face between his neck and shoulder. Pikachu leaned down to lick the child, wanting to provide her with some extra comfort. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to be doing much.

"Ash, perhaps we shouldn't try and push her any more today," Professor Oak kindly suggested, although he was sporting a sympathetic frown. "Tomorrow is a new day, after all! She might feel more comfortable if Aiden tells her about all the fun he had once he comes home this evening."

"Guess you're right," Ash sighed, standing up with Michelle in his arms. "I'm really sorry, Professor Oak. I thought for sure she'd love this."

"Quite alright," Professor Oak assured him. "We can't always know how they're going to react! You mean well, and that's what truly matters. But this still isn't a lost cause! Who knows…perhaps she'll warm up to it!"

All Ash could offer in response was a bashful smile. He sure hoped Professor Oak was right, but when it came to Michelle…he could never be sure.


	3. Chapter 3

The last thing Misty had been expecting when she walked into the house was Ash sitting on the couch, staring at the television…but not really watching it.

"Ash?" She breathed, causing him to jump. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"Uh, yeah, I was," Ash sighed, shifting his eyes away.

"What do you mean 'was'?" Misty asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did something happen?"

Before Ash could respond, he was interrupted by a quiet mumble…one that didn't come from his mouth, or Misty's. It was when she peered around her husband that Misty realized Michelle was curled up into a ball on the other end of the couch, fast asleep with Pikachu in her arms.

"Why is she not at camp with Aiden?!" Misty practically hissed, setting her alarmed stare directly onto Ash.

Ash groaned and leaned back against the couch, figuring there was no point in trying to hide their daughter now. "Because she freaked out."

In the blink of an eye, Misty's distressed expression transformed into one of disappointment. "Oh, no."

"She was perfectly happy on the way there with me and Aiden," Ash continued, shrugging his shoulders. "But as soon as we got to the lab and she saw all those kids she didn't know…totally different story. Aiden _tried _to make her feel better, and even introduced her to the other kids, but Michelle was way too scared to do anything. Eventually, Aiden went off to check out the Pokémon with everyone else, but Michelle wouldn't leave my side. When I told her I couldn't stay with her…that's when she lost it."

Misty knelt beside the couch and placed her head on the armrest, rolling her eyes up to look at Ash. "This is becoming a really big problem."

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Ash knew he couldn't really disagree. "I know."

"I thought she was getting better with the anxiety, but I guess only with people that she knows," Misty murmured. "Maybe it's time we do something about it."

_That _Ash was willing to disagree with. "She's still young, we don't know when she might turn a corner."

"Ash, she's almost five years old, and she hasn't turned a corner yet," Misty calmly reminded her flustered husband.

"You just said she did with people she knows!" Ash cried.

"Yes, with _people she knows_," Misty stressed. "But strangers are still a problem. What are we going to do when she starts school? If we can't leave her with a teacher or other kids without her panicking, that's going to cause some serious issues."

"She'll have Aiden, she'll be okay," Ash refuted.

"She had Aiden _today_ and wasn't okay!" Misty snapped. "They have very different personalities. Aiden is really outgoing and wants to meet and play with other kids. We can't expect him to stay behind for Michelle's sake. And based on what you said happened at camp, it's not going to happen anyway."

Ash groaned and buried his face in his hands. When it became evident to Misty that he wasn't going to say anything else, she continued in a gentler manner, "You and I both know why she's so afraid. And I know we feel guilty. But we can't go back in time and stop it from happening. All we can do now is try and help her through it. But I don't know if we can do it on our own."

She waited for Ash to respond, or at least remove his hands from his face, but he never did. Instead, he was prompted to do so when Michelle let out a sweet yawn. The little girl, as it turned out, was finally awaking from her nap, her eyes fluttering open as she mumbled tiredly and slowly sat up, still clutching a sleepy Pikachu in her arms. Once she was upright, she rubbed at one of her eyes, barely noticing that Pikachu was now stirring as well.

"Hi there, princess," Ash breathed, lifting the girl onto his lap. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Michelle let out another yawn as she nodded her head. Pikachu, in turn, snuggled himself against Ash's chest.

"You must've been tired after getting so upset, huh?" Misty asked.

Michelle nodded again, but simultaneously reached out for her mother, wanting to be held by her. Pikachu cleared the path by jumping onto Ash's shoulder, enabling Misty to pick up her daughter and kiss her forehead.

"Daddy and I thought you were excited to go to Pokémon camp!" Misty exclaimed.

"I was!" Michelle cried, much to the surprise of her parents.

"But, Shelly, you got so upset while we were there," Ash reminded his daughter.

Michelle nodded her head, confirming, "I was scared."

"Of the other kids?" Ash questioned.

"Uh huh," Michelle murmured.

"How come?" Misty jumped back in. "It sounds like they were all being very nice!"

"I don't know them," Michelle quietly replied. "That's scary."

"Well sure, it can be scary at first when you don't know people," Ash agreed. "But if you spend time with them, and have fun together, you can become good friends!"

That didn't seem to make Michelle feel much better, however. "I'm not good at it, Daddy."

Ash frowned at his daughter's admittance. "I know you get nervous. I think sometimes I might forget that because I'm different. Meeting new people is really exciting for me! But it isn't for you, and I've got to do a better job remembering that. I'm sorry, princess."

That was enough to bring the smile back to Michelle's face. "It's okay! I still love you!"

Ash blushed a bit as he chuckled, "thanks, sweetheart. I love you too!"

"Shelly, we have to decide what you want to do about camp," Misty informed her daughter, hating to break up the sweet moment between her and her father but knowing this had to be discussed. "I know you didn't have a very good time today, but do you want to go back and try again? Or would you rather not go and maybe try again next year?"

Michelle frowned and wrapped her arms around Misty's neck. "I really, really wanna go. But I'm scared."

"Well, what can Daddy and I do to make you feel less scared?" Misty genuinely asked.

The little girl seemed to think about it for a minute before concluding, "maybe if you and Daddy come and stay with me."

Misty smiled sympathetically. "We love you, baby girl, but we can't stay the whole time! It's a camp for cute little kids like you, after all."

"Can't you stay for a little tiny bit?" Michelle pleaded. "Please?"

Misty sighed and glanced over at Ash, who appeared to be mulling it over. "Daddy and I will talk about it, okay?"

That was good enough for Michelle, who showed off a tiny smile and nodded her head.

"Pipikachu!" Pikachu suddenly cried, flying off Ash's shoulder and circling Misty.

"Sounds like Pikachu wants to play, Shelly!" Ash chuckled.

"Pi!" Pikachu confirmed.

Michelle giggled, reaching down towards the electric mouse. "I'll play! I love to play wif Pikachu!"

"That sounds like a great idea!" Ash crowed. "Grammy will be here soon with Aiden, and then we can eat. But until then, you two can pass the time with each other!"

"Ya!" Michelle agreed, still trying to get to her father's partner Pokémon.

Misty smiled at her daughter and gave the little girl a kiss on the cheek before placing her on the floor, enabling her to run after an excited Pikachu. Once the two were gone, Misty walked over to the couch and sat down beside Ash, sinking into the cushions and crossing her arms against her chest.

"So…what do we do?" Misty asked. "Actually, forget it. I know what you're going to say."

Ash's mouth fell open. "What?! No you don't!"

Misty turned towards Ash, an unimpressed expression on her face. Deepening her voice to imitate him, she replied, "it couldn't hurt to stay for just a little bit."

Reluctantly, Ash closed his mouth and ducked his head. "Alright, fine. You knew exactly what I was gonna say."

Misty smiled warmly at her husband. "Of course. I know you all too well."

"Do you really think that's wrong, though?" Ash pressed, picking his head back up and inching closer to Misty. "I mean, we both know that Michelle feels a whole lot safer when we're around. Maybe if we stay just long enough where she starts to get comfortable with the other kids, she'll start to have a good time and we won't have to worry about it."

"Until she _doesn't_ get comfortable and wants us to stay," Misty muttered, shooting him a side eye.

"She won't!" Ash cried. "I know she won't."

At this, Misty raised an eyebrow. "How could you possibly know that?"

"I just do," Ash replied. "Trust me, okay?"

Misty hummed thoughtfully, leaning over until her head was resting on Ash's shoulder. "You have so much confidence in our little girl. It's very sweet."

Ash looked down at Misty and smiled. "I swear, Mist, I think she's on the verge of a breakthrough. We just have to be patient and work with her."

"How can I argue with that?" Misty asked playfully.

"Easy: you can't," Ash teased right back, winking at her.

Misty giggled softly as Ash tilted his head down to kiss her, more than happy to return his loving gesture.

"HI GUYS!"

Ash and Misty quickly pulled apart; their faces flushed. Aiden was standing right in front of them, a big smile on his glowing face.

"Aiden!" Misty gasped, pressing a hand against her chest.

"How'd you get into the house on your own this time?" Ash breathed. "And where's Grammy?"

"He found your key," Delia answered for the boy, having suddenly appeared beside the couch and holding the piece of metal up as proof. "You really should find a better place for this, Ash Ketchum!"

Misty, for what it was worth, appeared equally annoyed. "I told you to find a new hiding spot for that thing!"

"I did!" Ash cried. "Guess he figured out that one too…"

Aiden laughed, confirming to his father that this was, in fact, the case.

"Where's Michelle?" Delia asked, looking around the room. "She's not upset still, is she?"

"Nah," Ash refuted, shaking his head. "She's doing just fine now. She and Pikachu ran off to play a little while ago!"

Misty, meanwhile, managed to get over her initial shock and aggravation and offered her son a sweet smile. "How was your day at Pokémon Camp, sweetheart? I want to hear all about it!"

"It was the most fun _ever!_" Aiden squealed, rocking forward onto the balls of his feet. "But I don't wanna tell you now! I wanna wait til I can tell Shelly, too!"

"Did you miss her today?" Misty asked.

Aiden hummed and nodded his head. "I think she woulda had fun, Mommy! I did, and I'm only a little sad cause she missed it."

"Well, maybe once she hears about how much fun you had today, she'll want to try again tomorrow!" Misty suggested.

"Ya!" Aiden agreed before looking around the room. "Where'd she and Pikachu go? I wanna play, too!"

"I'm willing to bet they went down into the basement," Ash mused. "Try looking for them down there!"

"We'll call you three once dinner is ready!" Delia assured her grandson, bending over to grab his face and kiss the top of his head.

"Kay!" Aiden cried, running towards the basement door.

Misty let out a heavy sigh and rested her head in her hands. "How does he still have so much energy? I thought for sure a whole day at camp would knock him out."

Delia giggled. "He's got his father's stamina! Pokémon Camp never seemed to tire Ash out either…until it was finally time for bed."

At this, Ash smiled. "You know, I do kinda remember just crashing at night after Pokémon Camp! Maybe it'll do the same for Aiden!"

"We can only hope," Misty remarked. "Today's been long enough already…"


	4. Chapter 4

Aiden had, in fact, totally passed out by bedtime. But he was up bright and early the next morning, completely re-energized and ready to ensure that his father wouldn't oversleep again.

"Buddy, I _promised you_ I wouldn't! You didn't have to jump on me, you know."

The boy grinned mischievously at his father. "Yeah I did! I had to make sure!"

Misty giggled as she removed both Aiden and Michelle's backpacks from the hooks by the door, Ash shooting her an exhausted look. "He really takes Pokémon Camp very seriously! Professor Oak must be so proud!"

Aiden giggled and rapidly nodded his head. "-fessor Oak said I did really good yesterday! He said I know a whole lot about Pokémon, and that I can help him teach all the other kids!"

"That's a very big compliment from him!" Misty marveled. Aiden had been saying the same thing on repeat, but it was just so adorable she had to play along and act like she hadn't already heard it a hundred times.

Dinner the night before had been quite the sight. Aiden could barely sit still in his chair as he animatedly told his family all about his day at Pokémon Camp. All three adults at the table had noticed, however, that as Aiden spoke, his eyes rarely ever trailed from his sister. He was talking to them all, but it was _Michelle_ who he wanted to impress the most. For what it was worth, it seemed to have worked to some extent, as the little girl had stared right back at him with wide eyes, looking positively entranced and listening intently, not once interrupting Aiden to even ask a question.

It was Misty's hope that Michelle would remember all of that once they arrived at Professor Oak's lab.

Her son bouncing up and down in her peripheral vision brought Misty back to the present. Smirking, she whimsically requested to Aiden, "You'll have to keep helping him out, okay?"

Aiden nodded again. Ash smiled at the boy and ruffled his hair before turning back to his wife. "Where's Michelle?"

"Upstairs," Misty replied. "Last I checked, she was going to brush her teeth. I tried to help, but Michelle was _very_ insistent that she do it on her own."

"In that case, I think I'll go check on her," Ash chuckled, heading towards the stairs. "We'll have to get going soon, before our little champ's head explodes!"

Aiden laughed, obviously agreeing with his father, before launching at his mother to give her a hug. "Bye, Mommy! I'll see you later!"

"Hang on, little guy!" Misty laughed, brushing through her son's hair. "I'm coming with you, remember?"

The boy apparently didn't, as he tilted his head and asked, "why?"

"Shelly asked me to," Misty reminded her son. "She wanted Daddy and I to stay with her for a bit, until she felt more comfortable. She really wants to go to camp and have a good time, just like you!"

"I want her to have fun too!" Aiden chirped.

"I know you do," Misty assured him with a smile. "You're a very good brother, always looking out for your sister! Daddy and I really appreciate it, sweetheart."

"I tried to yesterday, Mommy," Aiden explained, frowning at her. "But she was too scared."

"Yeah, she told us about that," Misty replied. "But you still tried! That's all that matters."

"I made lots of friends yesterday," Aiden continued, pulling away from his mother so he could make big motions with his arms. "And I think Shelly will really like 'em!"

"Oh, I sure hope so," Misty sighed wistfully.

At the same time, right above the two, Ash was popping his head into the hall bathroom. Michelle was standing on her tippy toes on a small step stool, delicately brushing her teeth with her small blue toothbrush. Pikachu was sitting on the counter, keeping a watchful eye on the girl.

"You sure you're getting 'em clean with that gentle brushing?" Ash teased, causing his daughter to look up. "You gotta make sure you scrub 'em nice and good!"

He stepped into the bathroom and took the brush from Michelle, scrubbing more vigorously than she had. The little girl giggled as he brushed, spitting foamy toothpaste all over the counter and mirror. Pikachu squeaked and jumped out of the way of the spray; his reflexes just as sharp as ever.

"Never thought you'd have to use your speed to avoid a bubble beam attack from a little kid, huh?" Ash jokingly asked his partner.

"Pi-ka!" Pikachu replied in delight.

"Alright, I think you're good to go!" Ash informed his daughter, pulling the toothbrush away from her mouth. "Let's spit the rest of that out in the sink this time, kay?"

Michelle did just that before looking up at her father, scrunching her nose in distaste. "I only did that -cause you made me laugh!"

"Oh, so it's my fault?" Ash playfully quipped, leading Michelle to nod her head. "Now you sound like Mommy!"

The little girl giggled as Ash wiped her face with a nearby wash cloth. Once he was done, he spun her around so she was facing him and gave the child a big smile. "Are you excited to try out Pokémon Camp again?"

"I think," Michelle murmured. "But I'm still kinda scared."

"There's no need to be scared!" Ash assured his daughter. "Mommy and I will stay with you for a little bit, until you get comfortable, remember?"

Michelle nodded again, more solemnly than before.

"Besides, I know how brave you are!" Ash boasted. "You might be a little scared right now, but I know you can do it! My little girl is very tough."

He held his hand out towards Michelle; his way of requesting a high five. Michelle finally smirked and smacked her father's hand with hers as hard as she could, giggling wildly as her father pulled a hurt face and shook his hand out.

"Ah, you're strong, too!" He gasped.

Michelle continued laughing as her father picked up both her and Pikachu and carried them out of the bathroom, down the stairs to where Misty was now guarding the door from a loudly whining Aiden.

"Sorry, he's getting _super_ impatient," Misty sighed. "He started trying to break the door down."

"Aiden, use headbutt!" The boy cried before charging at his mother, bumping his head into her leg and laughing crazily.

"Not very effective," Misty teased, eliciting more laughter from her son.

"Told you his head was going to explode," Ash chuckled.

"It's probably going to if he keeps ramming it against my leg," Misty groaned, bending her knee to pick her shin up before her son could tackle it again.

"Good point," Ash concurred. "Let's head over to the lab before it actually happens!"


	5. Chapter 5

"Hi, -fessor Oak!"

The Pokémon researcher laughed as a familiar raven-haired boy came running towards him. "Aiden, my boy! I see you're all ready for another fun day!"

"Uh huh!" Aiden confirmed, tightly clutching the backpack straps that were laid over his shoulders. "And I'm not late today!"

Professor Oak snickered and glanced up at Ash, who had one of his hands pressed over his eyes. "I'm never going to live this down, am I?"

Misty giggled and reached out to touch Ash's back before turning towards Professor Oak. "Thank you for letting us stay here for a little while, Professor. Ash really thinks it'll help Michelle get more comfortable."

"Of course!" Professor Oak guffawed. "Anything for that precious girl."

He inched closer to Michelle, who was still in Ash's arms, and bent down a bit so he was at eye level with her. Michelle, who was quite comfortable with Professor Oak, didn't shy away and offered the man a sweet little smile.

"I'm sure your brother told you how much fun he had yesterday, hmm?" Professor Oak asked.

"Yes," Michelle squeaked.

Professor Oak smiled at her soft voice. "I'm certain you'll have just as much fun! Your mom and dad will make sure of that, I know."

Michelle's smile widened and she nodded her head. Beaming, Ash placed Michelle on the ground beside Aiden, while Misty knelt down and handed the little girl her own backpack.

"Daddy and I will be right here," Misty assured her daughter. "But I think it would be good if you went with your brother and tried to talk to the other kids again!"

"Ya!" Aiden agreed with his mother. "Come on, Shelly! They're so nice!"

Michelle glanced up hesitantly at her father. Ash, in turn, gave her a confident smile and a thumbs up, while Pikachu let out an encouraging "cha!"

"Okay," Michelle murmured.

That was enough to get Aiden excited. He let out a delighted whoop and grabbed his sister's hand, dragging her towards the nearby group of fellow campers.

"What a sweetheart!" Professor Oak chuckled. "I just adore how soft spoken she is. Very different for you two, isn't it?"

"It's interesting," Misty laughed softly. "I never thought I'd have a kid who was so quiet and reserved! I haven't been like that a day in my life. But she really is so sweet! It's just hard to watch her around people she doesn't know so well or struggle to make new friends. Especially when her brother could chat up a statue without hesitation."

"But I know she's going to break out of her shell sooner rather than later!" Ash added, pumping a fist. "I can feel it!"

"You keep saying that, and I'm not sure where you're getting that idea from," Misty sighed. "I hope you're right, but Michelle still seems awfully nervous when it comes to strangers."

"I told you, I just feel it," Ash replied, his voice becoming gentler. He knew Misty worried about Michelle…and carried a lot of guilt because of it. "Look how much better she's become with people she _does _know! It's only a matter of time before she realizes she can trust other people too."

"I think Ash makes a good point," Professor Oak warmly assured Misty. "I myself have really seen Michelle become more outgoing with people she's familiar with. These kinds of things _are_ built on baby steps, after all. The more you encourage it, the sooner she'll get there!"

Misty smiled at the professor and nodded her head. "Thanks, Professor Oak. I'll keep that in mind!"

Nearby, Aiden had just parked himself in front of the other kids, his hand still locked around a timid Michelle's.

"Hey guys!" Aiden greeted.

One of the girls from the day before, with long, curly blonde hair fashioned into pigtails, beamed at the boy. "Hi, Aiden!"

"My sister came back today!" Aiden excitedly announced. "She really wants to have fun with us!" Turning towards his sister, Aiden nodded towards the blonde girl standing across from them and informed her, "that's Darla. She's from Pallet Town, like -fessor Oak and Grammy!"

Michelle bashfully looked up at Darla and managed to squeak out a nervous, "hi."

Darla's olive eyes lit up, and she replied with a hearty, "hiya! Did Aiden tell you all about everything we did yesterday?"

Michelle slowly nodded her head.

"She knows how much fun we all had," Aiden added. "So, she wants to, too!"

At this, Darla giggled. "Yay!"

Another one of the female campers, who towered nearly a full head over Darla, glanced at Michelle and raised an eyebrow. "She's not just gonna run away again, is she?"

Michelle frowned, but quickly turned her head when one of the other campers shouted, "that isn't nice, Hazel!"

That protest had come from one of the little boys whom Michelle had recognized from the day before as well, with his curly, dark blue hair and equally dark eyes.

"Thanks, Jacob!" Aiden gratefully thanked the boy before looking at Hazel. "No, she won't. She wants to be friends with you guys! Right, Shelly?"

It took a second, but Michelle once again slowly nodded her head in response.

"Everyone here is great, even Hazel, although she can get kinda bossy sometimes," Aiden informed his sister, simultaneously earning a glare from the girl. He then introduced her to most of the other campers, including the tiny Liv, porcelain doll looking Riko, auburn haired Pax, and green haired Seth. With each introduction, Michelle started to become a bit more comfortable, and slowly began to say more to each of her fellow campers.

"We like to go watch all the Pokémon -fore camp starts," another little boy suddenly announced to Michelle. "Wanna come with us?"

Michelle sealed her mouth shut, suddenly feeling quite shy again, but Aiden was quick to jump in and inform his sister, "that's Benji. His favorite Pokémon are grass types!"

"Grass types?" Michelle repeatedly softly before turning towards Benji. "Did you meet Bulbasaur?"

Benji appeared intrigued but shook his head.

"My daddy's Bulbasaur lives here," Michelle continued softly. "He makes sure that all the other Pokémon get along."

"Whoa, that's so cool!" Benji marveled, his eyes widening.

This seemed to loosen Michelle up a bit. With the tiniest smile gracing her lips, Michelle chirped, "I'll find him for you!"

Ash and Misty were watching on, and while Misty had a face of obvious surprise, Ash's was one more of pride.

"I knew it!" He breathed with excitement.

"That's…this is…" Misty sputtered, unable to string a proper sentence together. Soon enough, she was sporting a huge smile, her hands flying up to cover her mouth.

Professor Oak glanced over at the couple and grinned. "Well, look at that. It appears your daughter has warmed up to everyone!"

With that, the older man approached the pack of children, beginning to speak to them and gaining their attention. Michelle was no exception, spinning around to face the professor so her back was to her parents. They could no longer see her face, but they had no problem seeing her hand fly up in response to a question asked by Professor Oak, and him subsequently calling on her.

Misty sniffled a bit and let out a short sigh, Ash turning to look at her. "Sorry, I'm totally overreacting."

Ash smiled and shook his head. "I don't think so. This is a big deal!"

"I didn't think it'd hit me so hard to watch Michelle get along with other kids," Misty murmured with a short laugh, rubbing at her eyes. "That's so crazy."

Ash chuckled and slung his arm around Misty's shoulders. "It sure is great, isn't it?"

Misty hummed softly before nodding. "Yeah, it is."

In the circle of young campers, with her parents unable to see, Michelle was sporting the biggest smile on her face. She had found the nerve to answer Professor Oak's question, done so successfully, and earned the further admiration of the other kids, who were now eagerly asking her questions of their own. Aiden himself was beaming as well, happy to see that his sister was now having just as much fun as he was. After a short while, Professor Oak was able to get the children to settle down and move on to their first activity of the day. As the group of campers followed after him, Michelle stopped in her tracks to look up at her parents, grinning and waving them an energetic farewell before rejoining everyone else. Ash and Misty had returned her smile and waved back, watching as she scurried off and out of their sight.

As the campers walked through the fields, Aiden jogged up next to his sister, smirking at her. "Isn't this the best?!"

Michelle giggled and nodded her head. "Yeah!"

"You're not scared anymore?" Aiden asked, a hint of hesitance in his voice.

"Nuh uh," Michelle quickly replied. "The other kids are super nice! I want to be friends with them and learn all about Pokémon."

At this, Aiden's face lit up. "Me too!"

Michelle excitedly clutched the straps of her backpack. "What kinda fun do you think we'll have today?"

Aiden shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. But I'm really e-cited! Me and you are gonna have the most fun at Pokémon Camp _ever!_"

* * *

**Thank you to everyone who read this story! I really enjoyed getting to share it with you. The idea of Aiden and Michelle at Pokemon Summer Camp is something I'd love to explore more of in the future, so keep an eye out!**


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